Finnish residents' trips to Southern Europe increased in
January to April 2018

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary
data, leisure trips abroad remained at the same level when compared
to the corresponding period last year. Increasingly more of the
Finns who travelled abroad in the first four months of the year
made trips to familiar travel destinations in the Mediterranean or
Sweden. Finnish residents travelled in Finland slightly less in the
first four months of 2018 than in last year's spring. In contrast,
destinations in the north increased their popularity.

Leisure trips in January to April 2012 to 2018*
(excl. domestic same-day trips and trips with free
accommodation)

In the first four months of 2018, Finnish residents aged 15 to
84 made 15.8 million trips when all domestic and foreign leisure
trips, as well as business and professional trips are included. In
addition to trips with overnight stay, the number also includes
same-day trips abroad and in Finland.

Altogether, 6.6 million domestic leisure trips with overnight
stay were made in the January to April period. Of these, 4.7
million were trips with free accommodation. Trips with overnight
stay at paid accommodation numbered 1.9 million and their most
popular destinations were located in Uusimaa, North Ostrobothnia,
Lapland and Pirkanmaa. The numbers of trips to North Ostrobothnia
increased slightly from the corresponding period of the previous
year.

The number of same-day leisure trips in Finland was 3.6 million
and that of same-day business trips 1.4 million. Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa
and Varsinais-Suomi were the most popular destination regions for
same-day trips.

March was the most popular month for travelling in Finland in
the early part of the year, as then 0.6 million domestic trips with
paid accommodation, 1.4 million trips with free accommodation and
0.9 million same-day trips were made.

Inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination
country, cruises and same-day trips, leisure trips abroad numbered
2.5 million in the January to April period. A total of 1.8 million
leisure trips abroad included overnight stay in the destination
country. In January to April, 0.4 million cruises with overnight
stay on board only were made. In the early part of the year, 0.3
million same-day trips abroad were made. Of these, nearly one-half
were day cruises to Estonia.

During the first four months of the year, leisure trips to our
neighbouring countries numbered 560,000 to Estonia and 500,000 to
Sweden. Trips to Sweden with overnight stay in the destination
country and same-day trips increased from one year ago. Cruises to
Sweden remained roughly on level with last year's spring.

In the early part of 2018, overnight cruises to Estonia remained
at the same level, and trips with overnight stay in the destination
country and same-day trips fell slightly from the previous year.
Despite this, Estonia is still the number one favourite for Finns
all the year round.

In the early part of the year, 340,000 trips were headed to
Spain, of which 55 per cent to the Canary Islands. In the first
four months of the year, 150,000 trips were made to Continental
Spain and the Balearic Islands and the number of trips grew by 29
per cent. March was the most popular of the four months to travel
to the Canary Islands and April to Continental Spain.

When examining only trips with overnight stay in the destination
country, roughly the same number of such trips were made as in last
year's January to April period. April was the most popular month
for these trips in the early part of the year, as then the number
of trips abroad with overnight stay in the destination country was
570,000. Of the trips with overnight stay in the destination
country, 16 per cent were headed to Estonia, similarly 16 per cent
to the northern coast of the Mediterranean, and 10 per cent to the
Canary Islands.

In addition to leisure trips, 1.1 million business and
professional trips with overnight stay and 1.4 million business and
professional trips lasting only one day were made in Finland.
Business and professional trips abroad (inclusive of trips with
overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day
trips) numbered 0.7 million. Domestic business trips decreased but
business trips abroad increased from last year's corresponding
period.

These data derive from Statistics Finland's Finnish Travel
survey for which altogether 4,518 persons aged 15 to 84 were
interviewed in February, March, April and May.